and taylor swift returns to london's wembley stadium in the uk for the final leg of her �*eras tour�* after her cancelled concerts in vienna. hello, i'm lucy grey. we begin in the middle east with two significant developments.|n qatar — new talks are under way to try to reach a ceasefire in gaza and the release of hostages. in gaza, the number of people killed in the war has now passed 40,000. that's according to the hamas run health ministry there.in qatar — both israel and the united states have sent negotiators. hamas says it won't directly join the negotiations. it accuses israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu of adding new conditions to earlier proposals. but qatari mediators are expected

to relay messages to hamas who already have a presence in doha. to gaza now. more than 40,000 people have been killed in the war, according to figures from the hamas—run health ministry. the figures don't differentiate between civilians and fighters. the ministry's breakdown of identified reported fatalities says a majority are children, women or elderly people. the un has found the figures from gaza in previous conflicts reliable. this month, israel's military told the bbc that more than 15,000 hamas fighters had been killed during the war. israel is not allowing internationaljournalists from media organisations, including the bbc, independent access to gaza so we are not able to independently verify figures. the war began after hamas fighters stormed into southern israel on october the seventh, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 others. israel says more than 300 of its soldiers have been killed in the fighting since.

barbara plett usher reports now — and a warning — you may find some details upsetting. it took ali two months to dig his family out of the wreckage of their home. he was the only one who survived the strike. translation: i could see my father i under the rubble, but i could not. extract him at first because he was under two columns of cement and the ceiling would have collapsed. he decomposed in front of my eyes. my mother's body was inside the house, but when i tried to go to see her, i felt smothered and had to leave. he's looked after now by his grandfather in a shelter for orphans and widows. carrying on with the task of living. his mother, father, brother and two sisters are among the 40,000 reported killed in the gaza war. the number is overwhelming. each loss is a raw and individual grief, experienced again and again

in places that are supposed to be safe. israel says it hit civilian infrastructure because hamas is operating there. hamas says it isn't. the international community condemns civilian deaths and the killing goes on. more than ten months of war have turned gaza into a destruction zone, displaced most of its people. many are sick and hungry. in the southern city of khan younis, they've been forced to flee a continually shifting front line. "we are tired of this life," she says, "death is better than this." death is a constant presence. sami kawar still has his family and whatever else he could carry with him, but this graveyard was the only space he could find in a shrinking humanitarian zone. translation: we have fled from dying to be among the dead, _ meaning we are the living dead.

the truth is no—one really knows what to say. back at the shelter, the orphans have been given another chance at life. how much of a chance, though, without at least a ceasefire, the future looks as dangerous as the present. barbara plett usher, bbc news, jerusalem. let's speak to our middle east correspondent wyre davies. it isa it is a reminder of how devastating this war is. israel has responded to this war is. israel has responded to this figure of 40,000 dead. in the past they have called the figures

fake. it is a reminder why there is so much international pressure for peace talks to review and resume. then we can move on to the release of the hostages. the us is really pressing hard to get a deal. their concern about an all—out war in the region for stop explain who is at those talks. region for stop explain who is at those talke— region for stop explain who is at those talks-— region for stop explain who is at those talks. , ., , , ., those talks. there is a very senior us delegation. _ those talks. there is a very senior us delegation. some _ those talks. there is a very senior us delegation. some very - those talks. there is a very senior us delegation. some very seniorl those talks. there is a very senior. us delegation. some very senior us figures. negotiators from qatar and also from egypt. how mass are not formally represented at the talks. but they will be kept in the loop of what is going on. the talks are meant to go on for two days. they

are meant to present a framework for future talks about a ceasefire. we are not going to see hostages release overnight or an eminent ceasefire. these are baby steps, but they are important baby stops, because if they fail a lot of people expect iran or has paula to respond in response to the assassination of seniorfigures. there is realfear outside that there will be further military action outside which could be leads to an excavation of the war. mustafa barghouti, general secretary of the palestinian national initiative, told the bbc he believes israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has been underminding negotiations for months. i think we are at a very critical

and dangerous moment. three times already, the palestinian side has agreed on concepts or proposals for a ceasefire, and three times, netanyahu undermines the agreement by changing his conditions and imposing new conditions. that happened in february, it happened in april and it happened injune. and now, he's trying to add new conditions to undermine the possibility of a ceasefire. even gallant, the minister of defence in israel himself, indicated that netanyahu is blocking an agreement and that israel is the site that is blocking a ceasefire agreement. netanyahu was in dispute with his defence minister, with his security people including the heads of mossad and shabak, and he is in dispute even with the negotiating team because he keeps undermining the possibility of reaching an agreement. today is a very dangerous moment.

let's speak to nir barkat, the israeli economy minister. let us talk about what we were just hearing there. the accusations that benjamin netanyahu is deliberately surpassed sabotaging these talks. i want to remind everyone that hamas is a terrorist organisation. 0ctober is a terrorist organisation. october the 7th, from their perspective, was just the beginning. they want to do it again and again and again. they want to wipe israel off the map and continue what they started on october the 7th. they are jihadists that want to apply sharia law across the world. their goal is to do it again and again. to eliminate these nazis off the face of the earth.

they are committed to doing it again. they are committed to doing it aaain. , , . ., ., again. on the sub'ect of the talks, which your— again. on the subject of the talks, which your closest _ again. on the subject of the talks, which your closest ally, _ again. on the subject of the talks, which your closest ally, than - again. on the subject of the talks, which your closest ally, than the l again. on the subject of the talks, l which your closest ally, than the us are pushing for, what you say to the accusations are benjamin netanyahu has introduced further conditions because he deliberately trying to stay in power. he is more concerned about his own political future than he is about the suffering in gaza, then he is about the fate of the israeli hostages. they are saying that he is deliberately adding conditions that cannot be met to try and sabotage the talks. itoutith conditions that cannot be met to try and sabotage the talks.— conditions that cannot be met to try and sabotage the talks. with all due resect, and sabotage the talks. with all due respect. the — and sabotage the talks. with all due respect, the talks _ and sabotage the talks. with all due respect, the talks are _ and sabotage the talks. with all due respect, the talks are to _ and sabotage the talks. with all due respect, the talks are to release - respect, the talks are to release the hostages. there are hundred and 50 hostages that would taken from their homes, from a peace party. they were taken hostage and they have done nothing wrong. presumably ou want to have done nothing wrong. presumably you want to reach _ have done nothing wrong. presumably you want to reach a _ have done nothing wrong. presumably you want to reach a deal _ have done nothing wrong. presumably

you want to reach a deal to _ have done nothing wrong. presumably you want to reach a deal to get - have done nothing wrong. presumably you want to reach a deal to get them i you want to reach a deal to get them out? we you want to reach a deal to get them out? ~ ., you want to reach a deal to get them out? ~ . , ., , you want to reach a deal to get them out? ~ . ., , you want to reach a deal to get them out? . , . out? we want the hostages back. we should aet out? we want the hostages back. we should get them _ out? we want the hostages back. we should get them unconditionally. - should get them unconditionally. eventually, they should be an unconditional surrender by hamas. there is a simple way to stop this war. they need to drop their weapons, take their infrastructure out of gaza. we would like to see them seek peace with israel. they are not interested. they are not interested in two state solution. they are not interested in seeing israel survive. we are not negotiating with rational reasonable people. we are negotiating with terrorists who want to wipe us off the face of the earth. all the non—muslims are next in line. these are deep hardy machinist. we want to make sure that hamas does not

reorganise itself and arm themselves for another 0ctober reorganise itself and arm themselves for another october the 7th. we want them to drop their weapons and create peace. if you want peace, they must drop their weapons. if we drop our weapons, we would never exist. we need to make sure that the radicaljihadists are wiped off the face of the earth. we radicaljihadists are wiped off the face of the earth.— face of the earth. we have a situation. — face of the earth. we have a situation, where _ face of the earth. we have a situation, where your- face of the earth. we have a situation, where your own . face of the earth. we have a - situation, where your own defence minister, is saying that this idea of a total victory is nonsense. you have a situation where people are saying that it is impossible to completely eliminate a miss. all this time you are creating more and more deaths and more and more suffering. it is acting as a recruiting ground for more people to support hamas what you say to this idea that complete victory is nonsense?— idea that complete victory is nonsense? , , , ., ., nonsense? very simple. follow the second world _

nonsense? very simple. follow the second world war. _ nonsense? very simple. follow the second world war. the _ nonsense? very simple. follow the second world war. the germans i second world war. the germans totally surrendered. for the japanese, there was total surrender. and then there was peace. because we want peace. israel has demonstrated that we want peace with egypt. in jordan, over25 that we want peace with egypt. in jordan, over 25 years of peace. we hope to expand with the saudis in the future. israel seeks peace. but withjihadists, iran, which is the head of the snake, their goal is to destroy israel. that head of the snake, their goal is to destroy israel.— destroy israel. at the moment, if there is not _ destroy israel. at the moment, if there is rrot a _ destroy israel. at the moment, if there is not a ceasefire, - destroy israel. at the moment, if there is not a ceasefire, this - destroy israel. at the moment, if there is not a ceasefire, this is i there is not a ceasefire, this is going to lead to all—out war in the region. your closest ally, the us, and other western comedies really pushing for a ceasefire. the concern

is about all—out war now. you say you are looking for peace, but people are really concerned about the spread of this. that people are really concerned about the spread of this.— the spread of this. that is why we are not going _ the spread of this. that is why we are not going to _ the spread of this. that is why we are not going to discuss _ the spread of this. that is why we are not going to discuss over - the spread of this. that is why we are not going to discuss over the | are not going to discuss over the year the exact plans israel has with its allies. we want to thank our allies, the americans, the brits, ourfriends in the region, the moderate arab states. we all have the same threat. they are all threatened by iran and qatar. and the muslim brotherhood all over the world. we are sharing information. we are not interested in an all—out war. we are ready for anything that might happen. we are not here to discuss our plans. 0ther might happen. we are not here to discuss our plans. other plans of our partners, certainly not over the

bbc. ., ~ our partners, certainly not over the ssc. ., ~ , g, our partners, certainly not over the ssc. ., ~ _, g, g, , challenger 2 tanks — supplied by the uk to ukrainian forces — have been used in their cross—border incursion into russia, a source has told the bbc. kyiv says it's expanding its military operation in the kursk region. a top commander has said the country's troops have advanced a further one and a half kilometres in the past 24 hours. he said they now control 1,150 square kilometres of russian territory. and have seized 82 settelments. but russia insists they are pushing back. 0ur correspondent will vernon has the latest. in russia, evacuations from parts of the border regions continue. thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. "big guns were firing constantly", this woman tells russian state tv. "my house was shaking and the furniture was moving around." the russian military is desperately trying to stop the ukrainian advance,

releasing more pictures, allegedly of strikes against ukrainian forces. translation: in our sector, | everything's under our control. we are destroying the enemy. a little further along they got through, but we're seeing to them. but these satellite images show that trenches are being dug in the region. russia is urgently bringing in workers to build the defences. that means moscow is concerned about further gains for ukraine, and kyiv says it continues to make progress, albeit at a slower pace. ukrainian soldiers have released more footage, apparently showing them removing russian flags from buildings in villages they've seized during the incursion. president zelensky claims his forces are moving forward. translation: we need other weapons, missiles and we continue to work- with our partners on long term solutions for ukraine because these are needed for victory.

and ukraine's allies seem to be listening. today, the uk government said kyiv can use british supplied weapons such as these challenger 2 tanks inside russian territory. in a statement to the bbc, the ministry of defence said ukraine has a clear right of self—defence against russia's attacks, which includes operations inside russia. the battle for the kursk region rages on, but there's politics at play here, too. ukraine wants to show its western backers that it can still fight and win. will vernon, bbc news. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

hundreds of thousands of students in england, wales and northern ireland have been

getting their exam results today, with a—level, t—level, btec nationals and other level 3 results being awarded. the top a—level grades have risen for the first time in three years. 80% of students successfully got into their first choice university in a year when grading was expected to be restored to the level it was before the pandemic. vanessa clarke reports. it's the day hundreds of thousands of students have been waiting for, but after a morning filled with nerves and a quick scan of their results, it's relief. and some have even done better than they hoped. it feels great. i only thought i would only get an a, b, b, and i needed a, a, b for uni, so i were a bit worried, but i got what i need, so i'm happy. overall, the number of top grades is still slightly above what it was before the pandemic. there has been a phased effort to bring them back down after a spike of top results when exams were cancelled. in wales and northern ireland, they're returning to pre—pandemic grading for the first time this year, so you are seeing a drop

in both wales and northern ireland from last year's gradings which reflects that return. in enniskillen and fermanagh, there is plenty to celebrate, with many students heading to apprenticeships or work. for those doing vocational courses like btecs, there were 22,000 top grades awarded in the uk. i wasn't really nervous at all, i i wasjust thinking, its results, i'm just going to go in, see what i got and - move on, you know? then the night before, it hit on me, what if it doesn't go well? - but, yeah, i got the result i hoping for. i and in this school in manchester, where the education secretary in england visited, results are better than expected, but there are still regional disparities and although there has been a slight improvement, there are calls for work to be done to close that gap. i do recognise that the gaps that we've seen opening up under the last conservative government when it comes to regional differences are really stark and that gap is widening. there is an awful lot that we need

to do and i want to make sure, as education secretary, that we break down those barriers to opportunity for our young people, that where you are from doesn't determine what you can go on to achieve in life. for the class of 2024, whether they have the results they want it or not, there are secondary school experience has been one that they will never forget. and today marks a huge milestone. in india, prime minister narendra modi has condemned violence against women after protests in many parts of india over the rape and murder of a doctor in kolkata. there have been several days of demonstrations across west bengal — as well as industrial action by medics. the anger was sparked by the killing of a 31—year—old trainee doctor. she had fallen asleep in a seminar room following a 36—hour shift. the next morning, colleagues found her with extensive injuries. a hospital volunteer worker has been arrested in connection with the crime.

the reclaim the night march saw women from all walks of life fill the streets of kolkata and other cities in west bengal. we feel that on the eve of independence, we women also need our independence back. and for a long time, we have suffered this sort of insecurity where we couldn't roam the streets at night, we couldn't go anywhere. even if there was some kind of emergency, we couldn't leave our homes, we had to stay inside because of this insecurity, this fear of men outside who could potentially harm us. now, as a woman, i travel by public transport every day, and i get harassed each and every day, but we have normalised this. we think that it is normal to get harassed because it will happen. we are born as biological women in this country and this will happen in our country, but i think enough is enough. now it's time to rise out

in protest, rise in rage, because this cannot go on. let's speak to . kavita krishnan, a women's rights activist and member of the all india progressive women's association can you hear me? thank you for joining us. ijust mention the reaction. more generally, what has been the reaction to those protests. i want to clarify first i am no longer with this organisation. the prime minister made a speech. but i think the response and the reaction is contrasting with narendra modi's political opportunism and, cynical

opportunism. the real anger that protesters are expressing and the young woman who was speaking just now, she said it. there is an organisation of violence. 0ur expectations from politicians and government that it is generating anger now. government that it is generating anger nova— anger now. that is a good thing. they really _ anger now. that is a good thing. they really want _ anger now. that is a good thing. they really want change. - anger now. that is a good thing. they really want change. it - anger now. that is a good thing. they really want change. it is i anger now. that is a good thing. i they really want change. it is about whether something tangible is going to happen to bring about that change. it to happen to bring about that chance. , ., to happen to bring about that chance. , . , ., ., . ,., change. it is a question of what you would call tangible. _ change. it is a question of what you would call tangible. ten _ change. it is a question of what you would call tangible. ten years - change. it is a question of what you would call tangible. ten years ago, | would call tangible. ten years ago, when protest happens, there were changes in the law. of course, there is already changing society. which is already changing society. which is why there are so many protests. but the big change that is required

is the end of this normalisation of the culture of victim blaming. after every single incidents of violence against women, if it happens inside the home with the boyfriend of someone she knows, then it is like you invited this on yourself. if it happens outside, even if you're your workplace, the same thing happens. that is the crux of the anger. we have a woman chief minister will stop but there is enormous violence by the staff date against protesters and the attempt to come completely deny that this terrible things happened on watch. just now the olympics has happened, and the

0lympics has happened, and the olympic wrestlers were on the 0lympic wrestlers were on the streets here. there was nothing about what they did here. there is a build—up. it takes a horrific amount of graphic violence for people in power to see it. it is of graphic violence for people in power to see it.— of graphic violence for people in power to see it. it is good to talk to ou. power to see it. it is good to talk to you- we _ power to see it. it is good to talk to you. we have _ power to see it. it is good to talk to you. we have run _ power to see it. it is good to talk to you. we have run out - power to see it. it is good to talk to you. we have run out of - power to see it. it is good to talk to you. we have run out of time. j to you. we have run out of time. thank you for talking to us about it. stay with us here on bbc news. not much in the way of sunshine today. we have a band of rain crossing the country. it will

brighten up behind that front as we head to the latter part of the afternoon. it would be quite blustery. there may be the odd heavier burst overnight, behind it skies were clear. there will be some blustery showers in the north—west of scotland. it will be cooler and fresher. there is some warm it to come across the south—east. 0n come across the south—east. on friday, that weather front eventually clears further south than we have this area of low pressure and it will bring more of a breeze and it will bring more of a breeze and a few showers to north—west scotland, the odd one for northern ireland. they will be sunshine he had it would be a much brighter day, also in wales. richard stayed dry. the fresh air will arrive here as well, but we could reach the mid 20s across the south—east. through friday night, we hold on to the blustery weather across northern ireland in the final west of england. there will be a few

showers. but into the weekend, it is not looking that bad. we are in between weather systems. there will between weather systems. there will be a few showers here and there but a lot of dry weather and plenty of sunshine around. temperature is around average. we are in between those weather systems and they will be some dry weather through the morning on saturday. 0ne be some dry weather through the morning on saturday. one or two showers on saturday, especially in scotland. temperatures will be high teens, low to mid 20s in the south. a similar story on sunday. the winter weather fronts will get perilously close to northern scotland. they could be a few more showers in the mix here and rather windy. northern ireland north—west england and maybe western wales they could be showers, but the site will stay largely dry. high teens, but mid 20s in the south. it will turn

more unsettled next week. it will be drier, brighterand more unsettled next week. it will be drier, brighter and warmer in the south and south—east.

this is bbc news. the headlines... ceasefire talks on the war in gaza have resumed in qatar, as the palestinian death toll passes 40,000 — according to the hamas—run health ministry.

here at bbc verify, we're looking in detail at the latest death toll in gaza and the destruction from israel's war. the bbc has been told that british—supplied tanks have been used in ukraine's russian incursion. and we'll be live from wembley stadium — as taylor swift returns to london for the final leg of her �*eras tour�* after her cancelled concerts in vienna. now with all the latest sport here's tanya. hello from the bbc sport centre. tottenham have suspended yves bissouma for their premier league game at leicester city on monday after footage showed the midfielder inhaling laughing gas. spurs have made the move despite the 27—year—old apologising for a "severe lack ofjudgment", having posted a video of himself on social media on saturday which showed him inhaling from a balloon.