tv BBC News BBC News March 20, 2024 5:00am-5:31am GMT
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american border security. hello, i'm mark lobel. we begin in sudan, with a conflict described as the war the world forgot. sudan, a predominantly muslim country, is situated in northeast africa. it is one of the continent's largest nations, but also one of the poorest with 46 million people living on an average annual income of $750. the fighting erupted in the capital, khartoum in mid—april last year — after two men, who once took control of the country in a power sharing agreement, fell out. general abdel—fattah al—burhan, the commander of the sudanese armed forces, is at odds with the head of the powerful paramilitary group rsf, general mohammed hamdan dagalo. within sudan, also lies another
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humanitarian crisis. in the western region of darfur, where black african and arab communities have long been at loggerheads, witnesses accused the rsf of targeting and killing non—arabs, resulting in reports of hundreds of deaths. the rsf has repeatedly denied any involvement in the violence in the region and has called for an independent international investigation. the un now reports that with 8.1 million people forcibly displaced, and tens of thousands killed there are warnings of growing hunger. the un security council has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in sudan. bbc arabic�*s feras kilani, has been given rare access with the sudanese army, to the front line city of omdurman, close to the capital khartoum. and sent us this report.
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ofa of a wall of the world has forgotten. i'm a group celebrating success as they push towards capital. this market used to be the life of the city. now located. normal life here destroyed. we heard stories of rape, looting and indiscriminate violence at the hands of the rsl. —— are sf. this war has taken everything from people. millions across the country have had to leave their lives behind. you have stayed. this man took us to what used to be a town square. now a makeshift graveyard.
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there are 150 people here. i knew many of them. mohammed, abdulla, jalal, just me left. fix, abdulla, jalal, just me left. a moment to remembertheir abdulla, jalal, just me left. a moment to remember their names. the un says both sides face accusations of horrific abuse, even war crimes. claims both denied. the only was kingfisher was the damage they say wasn't afflicted to the city and its people by the rsl. they tightly controlled what we saw and we went. children in sudan are facing a living nightmare. aid agencies warn an entire
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generation is at risk. 300 families are crammed into this school here in port sudan. these classrooms should be full of children learning. instead, desperate people from across sudan are sheltering here for safety. but there are horror stories hidden here. five people have died of cholera and others are suffering from severe diseases. this woman a mother of eight has leukaemia and has not been able to get medication because the body erupted. my able to get medication because the body erupted.— the body erupted. my last pill finished three _ the body erupted. my last pill finished three days _ the body erupted. my last pill finished three days before - the body erupted. my last pill| finished three days before the war. from that moment on, i am suffering, in constant pain, i am so tired.— am so tired. her husband is fighting- — am so tired. her husband is fighting. she _ am so tired. her husband is fighting. she has— am so tired. her husband is fighting. she has not - am so tired. her husband is fighting. she has not heard | fighting. she has not heard from him in two months. this
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clinic feels like a frontline of a humanitarian disaster the world does not know is happening. starving children getting what little help they can. we meet this woman, who has lost all hope, struggling to keep her three—year—old daughter alive. she could barely tell us the rsf stole her home, stole her life. families clinging on for survival but it could get a lot worse. ~ ., ., worse. we are facing right now a lethal combination _ worse. we are facing right now a lethal combination of - a lethal combination of displacement, mass displacement, mass displacement, hunger and disease outbreak displacement, hungerand disease outbreak and that is putting sudan on the brink of famine. ., ., , , famine. the world has been disrupted — famine. the world has been disrupted with _ famine. the world has been disrupted with other- famine. the world has been disrupted with other moras| famine. the world has been . disrupted with other moras and other sovereign but deeply from here is clear, the world is
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being urged not to forget sudan. feras killani, bbc news, sudan. let's speak to mary louise eagleton, unicef�*s deputy representative in sudan. with access to the frontline and control of information so sensitive, what can you tell us about how bad the situation is on the ground? thank you. as you have seen in the report, children are caught in a living nightmare in sudan and the situation is just getting worse and worse. the levels of displacement, facing the largest children displacement crisis in the road with hunger and disease outbreaks, it is a lethal combination for children and theirfamilies on the combination for children and their families on the ground. there is 3.5 million children that if we did their home. what
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is happening to them? children in conflict areas _ is happening to them? children in conflict areas are _ is happening to them? children in conflict areas are fleeing - in conflict areas are fleeing and losing everything they had, leaving everything behind. the coping mechanisms are overly stretched and we are seeing waves of displacement as conflict envelops different parts of the country. those coping mechanisms get even more stretched. every family pretty much here in sudan where i am is hosting multiple families with limited needs themselves. there is no purchasing power and it is meaning children are going hungry and very exposed to disease outbreaks and other significant issues. including the fact almost a year now and have not been in school, almost 19 million children that have
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not been in school for almost a year. you see them also suffering severe psychosocial trauma. as they lost everything. trauma. as they lost everything-- trauma. as they lost eve hin. , ,, everything. these displaced families with _ everything. these displaced families with children, - everything. these displaced families with children, who | everything. these displaced i families with children, who can they trust internally? and aren't neighbouring countries coming to help? bid aren't neighbouring countries coming to help?— aren't neighbouring countries coming to help? aid groups are doinu coming to help? aid groups are doing everything _ coming to help? aid groups are doing everything they - coming to help? aid groups are doing everything they can. - coming to help? aid groups are doing everything they can. it i doing everything they can. it does feel the world has forgotten about sudan or does not know this crisis is happening, such a massive scale. we are doing everything we can to bring critical life—saving supplies and services in. ngos, the un, the international community, it is just not enough. this scale and scope of this crisis is enormous and so much more is needed. we are going into the lenses and in terms of hunger what we're seeing now is going
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to get worse. we are very about that. a , . , to get worse. we are very about that. , . ,., to get worse. we are very about that. . ,., ., that. many victims of rape are cominu that. many victims of rape are coming forward, _ that. many victims of rape are coming forward, how- that. many victims of rape are coming forward, how scarring | that. many victims of rape are i coming forward, how scarring is this conflict proving? £311" this conflict proving? our teams were _ this conflict proving? our teams were on _ this conflict proving? our teams were on demand l this conflict proving? oi" teams were on demand last week and speaking with doctors and one of the few remaining functioning hospitals, we're months on. there are woman were now giving birth to children of rape. and there is also unaccompanied women and there are scars young women and girls are scars young women and girls are bearing, it is ongoing. 0ngoing levels of rape in the country. ongoing levels of rape in the count . . ~ ongoing levels of rape in the count . ., ~ ongoing levels of rape in the count . ., ., ,, country. thank you for speaking with us on _ country. thank you for speaking with us on what _ country. thank you for speaking with us on what is _ country. thank you for speaking with us on what is being - country. thank you for speaking with us on what is being called l with us on what is being called the forgotten war.
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dozens of palestinians are reported to have been killed in israeli airstrikes in northern and central gaza. palestinian media say many of the victims had been organising security for aid deliveries. there's been no comment from israel. efforts to secure a ceasefire continue on wednesday when the us secretary of state, antony blinken, visits saudi arabia. talks there will also focus on gaza's long—term, post—war future. on his latest tour of the region, mr blinken will also travel to egypt on thursday. it comes amid further dire warnings about the scale of the humanitarian crisis in gaza. 0ur middle east correspondent mark lowen has the latest from jerusalem. well, throughout this conflict, israel has suggested that it is hamas, which is disrupting aid distribution efforts in gaza and is the israeli government has also hit out at the un for, in its words, being too slow to distribute aid. but all the aid agencies on the ground in gaza and un bodies say that the infrastructure is in place to distribute aid. it is solely down to israel limiting
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the number of trucks that can get into gaza to distribute that much needed aid, which is why it is so sorely lacking and why famine is now looming in large parts of gaza. now, i went to a briefing with the head of the un palestinian mission, unrwa, who said to me that this is an entirely man—made famine. in a sense it is not, you know, it is down to a complete failure of policies. they are ready to distribute the aid if israel allows more in. and he also appealed to the us and the uk to restore funding to the un palestinian refugee mission, which the two countries cut injanuary when israel accused that un mission of employing staff who were complicit in the 7th of october attacks on israel. now that is on the aid front, on the ceasefire front, those talks on on on a new truce are continuing in qatar. the qataris say that the two warring sides are still very far apart, but that they are cautiously optimistic that the talks are resuming.
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but israel's prime minister has said that he is still intent on expanding the offensive into rafah in southern gaza, where some 1.4 million gazans are sheltering. but really on the ground, gazans have no time to wait for a ceasefire, given the preponderance of famine, dehydration and desperation. let's speak to amin saikal, emeritus professor of middle eastern studies at the australian national university. antony blinken is travelling to discuss this longer term postwar plan to govern and secure a stop. is israel even listening? i secure a stop. is israel even listening?— listening? i think it is fine for him to _ listening? i think it is fine for him to continue - listening? i think it is fine for him to continue his i listening? i think it is fine - for him to continue his shuttle diplomacy and continue visiting but so far it is not really produced any tangible result. that is simply because the prime minister benjamin netanyahu is totally defiant and extremely focused on his
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plan to go for the full invasion of entire gaza and that includes rafah an as is predicted, any attack would result in a lot more casualties and a lot more destruction. the people who are in rafah, the ones driven to that area and they know that intent to bomb they know that intent to bomb the area. i think as the former spokesperson for the european union said, israel is on the verge of making man—made famine. which is going to basically be israel weaponising starvation as a means to achieve subjugation. achieve sub'ugation. and there is a achieve subjugation. and there is a delegation _ achieve subjugation. and there is a delegation visiting - achieve subjugation. and there is a delegation visiting the - is a delegation visiting the us,joe is a delegation visiting the
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us, joe biden wanting a military operation in rafah would be a mistake. what do you make of this tension between joe biden and prime minister benjamin netanyahu? joe biden and prime minister benjamin netanyahu?- joe biden and prime minister benjamin netanyahu? there is no auestion benjamin netanyahu? there is no question unrest _ benjamin netanyahu? there is no question unrest is _ benjamin netanyahu? there is no question unrest is grown - question unrest is grown between washington and jerusalem and more should be made from president biden and also from the leader of the democratic majority and congress chuck schumer who basically labelled the prime minister angela netanyahu as an obstacle to peace in the region and also called foreign elections but measurement and who will not resign on the survival of him and many extremists in the cabinet very much are dependent on the present situation and achievement of the objective set out to achieve and that is not only to destroy hamas but
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also to make gaza unlivable altogether. therefore open it widely to israeli settlements, to resettle and go there and basically if possible annexed gaza to israel. of course, the international community will remain very much opposed to it. there are many eyes on this continuing negotiation and a half for a ceasefire and the list of hostages. from the mood you are describing, doesn't sound like there is much hope attached to the talks, is there? ., ., ., ., ., there? not a lot of hope at this point- _ there? not a lot of hope at this point. the _ there? not a lot of hope at this point. the qatari - this point. the qatari spokesperson said the two sides are very much a part at this point. 0ne are very much a part at this point. one cannot really tell. it is possible they could come to some arrangement but at this point the way i see it, and what the prime minister benjamin netanyahu has said,
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there is not a chance for a long ceasefire to come into existence and that itself will be will be a real tragedy. what israel needs urgently is a ceasefire. that is the only thing that can really stop israel from attacking and more aid getting through to the population of gaza. thank you forjoining _ population of gaza. thank you forjoining us. _ around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.
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seen out and about at the weekend, the prince and princess of wales visiting their local farm shop in their localfarm shop in windsor. their local farm shop in windsor. catherine �*s recovery from abdominal surgery seemingly going well. 0fficials seemingly going well. officials have always insisted she wants the precise details of her treatment to remain private. this morning �*s mirror is reporting claims that while she was at the london clinic, at least one member of staff tried to access her medical notes without permission allegedly breaching her confidentiality. catherine spent 13 nights at the private hospital in january. the data protection watchdog, the information commissioner �*s office, said it received a report of a bridge and was assessing the information. kensington palace said it was a matter for the london clinic. in a statement, the clinic said: the hospital also recently treated king charles for an enlarged prostate. he was there
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at the same time as catherine. the allegations will come as another blow to the royal family who are trying to shift the focus away from weeks of my speculation and considers to from a conspiracy theory due to her continued absence. this teacher wasjohn but many teacher was john but many agencies teacher wasjohn but many agencies because it had been edited, catherine later apologised for any confusion. prince william was in chapel to promote his homelessness project. he spoke about the challenges faced by young families as a subject catherine also has taken interest in. this morning the talk again is “p this morning the talk again is up catherine �*s help and her right to privacy. simonjones bbc news. the us supreme court is allowing texas to enforce one of the toughest immigration laws in the country. the law lets state officials
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arrest and deport people suspected of illegally crossing into the us from mexico. the court rejected a bid by the biden administration to block the controversial policy, while a legal battle over the measure plays out in a lowerfederal appeals court. crossing the us border illegally is already a federal crime, but violations are usually handled as civil cases by the immigration court system. patrick svitek covers texas for the washington post. for the time being, it allows texas to move forward with implementing this very aggressive law that really asserts an almost unprecedented state role in enforcement of border and immigration enforcement, which is a federal responsibility. i should note that this issue, the merits of it, are still pending before a lower court, so this legal battle is far from over. immigration is playing a major role in this year's presidential election.
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on tuesday president biden accused donald trump of "despising latinos". mr trump meanwhile released a campaign video slamming mr biden�*s handling of the migration crisis. both president biden and mr trump have already wrapped up their parties�* presumptive nominations. but there were a number of primaries. on tuesday there was voting in some states that will be vital to victory come november. these included illinois, kansas and ohio. and there was a primary in florida. donald trump cast his ballot there, former first lady melania trump was by his side. she's been largely absent from his campaign so far. before this visit. if you have seen the latest bond movie, no time to die, you will recall that the final scene is a bit of a cliff hanger. in fact you might even assume that 007 is no more. except we know the franchise continues. and speculation is rife
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that the man replacing daniel craig will be 33—year—old aaron taylorjohnson. emer mccarthy has more. it's one of the most coveted jobs in cinema and speculation is rife that aaron taylor—johnson is set to be the next james bond. the sun newspaper is reporting that the 33—year—old has been formally offered the role, and he's set to sign a contract later this week. he'd, of course, be taking overfrom daniel craig. he stood down as zero seven back in 2021 after starring in five films. but there are a few other names in the mix. they include henry cavill. he's already played superman, but he says that he'd love to play bond. idris elba has also shown interest, but at 51, he's acknowledged that he may now be too old to take on 007. hot off his 0scars win, cillian murphy's name has also been thrown in the mix.
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his fellow irishman and former bond, pierce brosnan, says that he thinks he'd do a magnificentjob. but pierce brosnan has also been singing the praises of bridgerton heart—throb rege—jean page. he thinks that he'd be a wonderful bond as well. the next bond film will be the 26th in the series, with insiders saying production is set to start later this year. should have answered my phone when they called, never mind. one of the most renowned producers in hip—hop music, doctor dre, has been honoured with a star on the hollywood walk of fame. dre, whose real name is andre young, rose to fame in the late 1980s as part of seminal rap group nwa, and was a key figure in the early 1990s hip—hop scene. his debut solo album, 1992's the chronic, was a major success. eminem, 50 cent and snoop dogg were among the stars celebrating him on tuesday. the nine—time grammy award winner said he could never have
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imagined this honour. the idea of being memorialised on the hollywood walk of fame, an incredible tribute to my artistry. growing up in compton, never imagined i would want day be represented here among some of my childhood heroes. we heard the saying a million times, focus on your passion and the rest will follow, that is exactly what it is for me. i love this honour is for me. i love this honour is unique to los angeles and brings fans from all over the world to my hometown to connect with their favourite artists. i will be here forever. it has been a tough time for many people recently. wednesday marks the un's international day of happiness. and to commemorate, the world happiness report released its 2024 review on the state of happiness. topping the list of happiest countries: finland. second happiest was denmark, followed by iceland, sweden and israel. the united states landed at 23rd happiest,
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eight spots lower than last year. the uk was ranked three spots ahead at 20th happiest. the happiness report is a result of people in 143 countries evaluating their life on a scale of one to 10, with 10 representing the best possible life. for finland, it's their eighth year in a row at the top. a happy place indeed. hello. we are marking the spring equinox, and for some parts of the uk, wednesday will bring some spring warmth, just as tuesday did in parts of lincolnshire. 17 degrees, with some hazy sunshine in some relatively mild air. now, as we head through the next few days, we are going to start to see a change. the wind direction will change. we will get into north or northwesterly winds, and that will bring a much
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colderfeel, in time for the weekend, but not just yet. a mild start to wednesday, with extensive cloud cover, some mist and murk and some hill fog, and some outbreaks of rain. now, in many locations, the rain will turn increasingly light and patchy through the day, and for some, it will brighten up. in fact, if we see some hazy sunshine in the south—east of england, temperatures could climb to 18 degrees, but parts of south—west england, wales, the midlands, eastern england, are likely to stay grey, with some bits and pieces of rain. it may brighten up a little bit across northern england, and for northern ireland and for scotland, actually, the afternoon should bring a decent amount of sunshine, feeling quite pleasant in light winds, 11 or 12 degrees. just a small chance of a shower in the north—east of scotland, and then, through wednesday night, while this window of clear skies move southwards and eastwards, that will be replaced by the end of the night across northern ireland and the western side of scotland by more cloud, more outbreaks of rain. this is our next frontal system. the winds will be strengthening, as well. it is going to be a windy day, particularly in the north—west of scotland on thursday, with outbreaks of rain pushing south—eastwards. that rain particularly heavy and persistent over high ground in the west of scotland.
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further south and east, quite a lot of cloud, but where we see some sunny spells, again, it may feel warm — 17 degrees likely in the london area. but through thursday night and into friday, this cold front slips southwards and eastwards, and that will bring a change to colder conditions. a deep low, passing to the north of scotland, that will bring some really strong winds, gales likely in the far north. for the northern half of the uk, there will be showers, some heavy, some thundery and some wintry up over high ground, and for some places, temperatures will actually be dropping as the day wears on. the afternoon, for example, in glasgow, around eight celsius. we stay in that cold air for the weekend. there will be showers, some of which will be wintry over high ground, and when we factor in the strength of the winds, it will feel decidedly chilly.
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live from london, this is bbc news. has inflation eased in the uk? we will know in a few hours when consumer price figures for february are released. and a focus on interest rates in the states as the us federal reserve decide what to do next. hopes for a thaw in relations as a top chinese official visits australia. we'll have the details. plus, check out and chat.
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or is it life in the slow lane? a dutch supermarket introduces a checkout lane to encourage you to slow down and have a chat. but will it catch on? hello there. i am mark lobel and we begin here in the uk where today we'll get the cpi figure for february. investors have since increased bets that interest rates will fall in june. inflation remained unchanged at 4% last month forjanuary. that surprised experts who had expected a rise in energy bills to push prices up at a faster rate. but falls in prices for food items such as crackers, cake and crisps helped offset the rise in electricity and gas costs. keeping overall annual inflation unchanged from december. joining me now is kallum pickering, senior economist, berenberg.
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