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is provided by... george: actually, you don't need vision to do most things in life. it's exciting to be part of a team driving the technology forward. i think that's the most rewarding thing. people who know, know bdo. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news". >> i am in washingtos is bbc world news america. joe biden issues an executive order taking aim at some israeli settlers in the west bank accused of violee. the bbc speaks to a journalist covering the war in her homeland

of gaza. eu leaders say they have sent a strong message to vladimir putin by agreeing on a date package to ukraine. -- agreeing to an aid package to ukraine. welcome to world news america. as violence continues in the west bank, u.s. president joe biden issued an executive order aimed at some of the people behind it. it authorizes travel sanctions on four israeli settlers accused of violent attacks in the occupied west bank. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu says the vast majority of settlers are law-abiding but israel takes action against lawbreakers and there are no need for the measures. the executive orders lays out the groundwork. any assets the settlers hold in the u.s. will be blocked and

americans are forbidden from carrying out financial transactions with them. it marks the first financial sanction against settlers. meanwhile, u.s. officials say plans have been approved for a series of strikes against iranian personnel in iraq and syria in response to the drone attack that killed three american soldiers based in -- jordan. several iran-backed groups have increased attacks on u.s. and israeli linked entities since the beginning of the war. lloyd austin called on iran to stop supplying weapons to the houthi rebels in yem. he said the u.s. does not want a wider middle east conflict but reserves the right to respond to iranian backed attacks on u.s. personnel. >> so this is a dangerous moment in the middle east. we will continue to work to avoid a wider conflict in the

region but we will take all necessary actions to defend the united states, our interest and our people. we will respond when we choose, where wehoose, and how we choose. >> our state department correspondent has been looking into all of this for us. let's start with that executive order aimed at some settlers in the west bank. what is th significance? >> it is the first time the u.s. has done this. it is an executive order made in the most public way possible by the administration. there has been an absolute surge in settler violence in the occupied west bank ever since october 7 and the war in gaza. the are a. number of reasons for its. i have seen it. i was in some of these towns and villages before and after october 7 when there was already an upswing during the year and a

huge amount of violence. some palestinian villages are under siege by some settlers. i think what the u.s. is trying to signal is it has had enough and is trying to show it will treat these individuals -- it says -- in the same way it designates terrorists. freezing assets, visa travel bans and those sorts of things. president biden has become increasingly irritated or frustrated that benjamin yet and yahoo! has not done enough -- benjamin yet and yahoo! has not done enough. the ideological representatives of these people and their movement. he is worried about the composition of this government and what it means to his attempts to try to bring the war in gaza to a close and to ultimately get a settlement between the israelis and the palestinians. >> we mentioned the frustration

from benjamin netanyahu, as well. we do not know what this is yet. do we have a idea when they might take place and what form? >> we do not know when but what is being reported by cbs -- this is clearly the line behind the scenes that u.s. officials want to put out -- these will be multi-day strikes against iranian personnel and facilities. thats important. that is a significant move. crucially, not on iranian soil. iran has not been talked about. that is what some of the most hawkish voices among republican have been calling for. target iran. the administration has given the signal that will not happen. nevertheless, strikes against iranian personnel would be very significant. the administration is still

trying to calibrate. it needs to meaningfully deter these iran backed groups from further groups, fatal attacks against u.s. bases in the region. at the same time not trying to draw into iran with a direct conflict with the u.s. >> whave seen the u.s. wrapping up pressure on trying to get some sort of cease-fire agreement in the israel-hamas war. what is happening behind the scenes with the u.s.? >> there is a lot of movement. we have had senior officials, william burns and the cia in europe talking to spy chief's from the region, senior leaders of qatar, and he feels there is movement on the potential deal that would see the release of hostages in return for a cease-fire in gaza. i think the pressure is mounting on benjamin nenyahu, both the mystically and for everyone else , including the u.s. administration, to try to get this thing done.

because if you sign a deal and a cease-fire starts in gaza, many of the other problems in the region will probably start to evaporate at least in the immediate term. we are in an election year. joe biden is getting criticized for looking weak on the middle east. that would make these issues go away for the time being. >> thank you for your analysis. this comes as the war between hamas and israel continues. around 900,000 children are thought to be displaced in gaza, according to the charity save the children. gaza's youngest journalist is among them. since the start of the war she has been documenting her journey and the stories around her. our reporter has been speaking to her. >> this is a nine-year-old who has acquired a huge following on social media. posting snippets of her life in

gaza and her aspirations to become a journalist. we caught up with her, who joined us from gaza, close to the rafah crossing. what made you want to do this? >> they want to document the struggle we are going through so the world can see it. all we wish is to go back to our school, to seek education. >> her father has been helping the nine-year-old document her journey, navigating the changes around her as the family was displaced from their home in northern gaza. >> she told us so much in her life has changed. the dream is to continue the work she is doing now. >> i wish when the war ends i can turn into a great journalist and work so i can grow morend more. >> as she continues to find

comfort in sharing the stories of her community, her portfolio keeps on growing. >> iran backed houthi fighters in yemen are continuing to launch attacks on commercial shipping in the red sea. on wednesday the u.s. launched limited strikes on houthi positions. bbc verify has analyzed the impact of the attacks. >> there have been 11 sets of strikes in yemen in the last six weeks. many have been limited. the most recent were less that, focused on houthi military targets. the u.k. has been involved in two sets of strikes but are they working? let's start off in november. off the coast of yemen. this is where houthis backed by yemen have lots attacks. the most are in the red sea you're a pinch point. here is an example. when houthis ca cargo ship, this

is footage. after initial attacks the u.s. and u.k. launch strikes on the houthis. there were more joint strikes 11 days later. the u.s. has also launched several attacks on its own and intercepted this vessel which it as was transporting weapons to the houthis. all the while, houthi attacks continue. they are starting to move south. one example, a tanker with links to the u.k. it was set on fire after being hit by a missile. the frequency of houthi attacks has not fallen. in the three weeks before the first u.s. and u.k. strikes, there were six. in the three weeks since, there have been nine. there is a lot less traffic going through the red sea. vessels are sailing around africa, which takes a lot longer. . it costs a lot more, too. these are the increased costs

for shipping freight. it will take longer for some goods to get to the u.k. and could mean higher costs for customers. >> the european union is giving ukraine a substantial aid package to help its economy. the $54 billion package was approved unanimously before being initially held up over objections from hungary. the funding said that powerful message to russian leader vladimir putin. it comes as u.s. military aid for ukraine, the largest provider, is being held up by congress. volodymyr zelenskyy call this a strong signal of european unity and a sign that ukraine can withstand any challenge. >> i am grateful for your decision on the financial instrument for us, for our people, for ukraine. 50 billion euros for a four-year

period. ukraine will withstand and europe will withstand. . it is important this decision was taken unanimously by all. all of you. all 27 member states. it is another clear sign of your strong unity and support of ukraine. >> our correspondent has the reaction from give. >> huge reaction from steve -- hungary is on board. this is a united european response. the symbolism of that is important to ukraine and the fact it means the funding is now approved. ukraine has been stressing all along that this is not just about supporting this country. it is about the broader cause of european security that ukraine is fighting for europe against russia's attempts to change the

world order by force. war costs a lot of money and it is not just about missiles and ammunition and shells and tanks from the west. it is about hard cash because the government needs to keep doing what a normal government in normal country must do. paying salaries and pensions. it is about just keeping the heating on. the price is high ukraine needs help with money. everything else, all other income is going to the war this is particularly important as american funding for ukraine is being blocked by domestic politics. another thing that the response has been underlining is this is money which is guaranteed for several years and give ukraine some stability as it looks to the future and looks to continue to fight a war that frankly two years ago, people here in ukraine did not believe was possible. >> i spoke to a ukrainian member

of parliament for her response to thursday's announcement. i just want to start with getting your reaction to eu leaders announcing the have agreed on a new package of aid for your country. how will this concretely help ukraine geico >> we were counting for this package pre-2024. we were hoping we would get the e.u. aid and the u.s. aid by the end of 2023. of course, this annncement has been met as very good news. ukraine, there is a lot of celebrations especially from the government agencies, especially our ministry of finance, the economy. this aid will be coming into fill the gaps and help prop up the -- not just the economy but the humanitarian and social life of the country.

including the needs of developing communities. education. and so on. >> i will come back to the u.s. side of it. your president has welcomed e news and said the following. continued e.u. financial support for ukraine will strengthen stability, which is no less important than military assistance and sanctions pressure on russia. this e.u. funding packages not for the front line. do you agree or is military assistance and sanctions pressure on russia what is needed most right now? >> military assistance and sanctions will remain a priority. pressure on russia and the limitations of russia's military sector will help in reducing the pressures on the front line for ukraine and the extra weapons we are getting, the extra training will help ukraine advanced further and push out russia's military from our own territory.

however, it is extremely crucial for ukraine to continue functioning as it open, free democracy in the meanwhile and for our economy not to collapse. at the end of the day a strong military also relies on a strong economy. it is crucial for the ukrainian businesses, small, medium, large, continue functioning and paying taxes and creating jobs, for the people to be making money and spending it inside the country. >> let's go back to the u.s., the biggest military supporter of ukraine. more aid for ukraine is being held up in the u.s. senate over negotiations in a broader package that has to do with u.s. domestic policies with immigration at the southern border. are you and your colleagues confident the u.s. will provide more military support for ukraine in the time that you need it? >> we have our concerns and his concerns were very much voiced at the end of 2023, when ukraine

was in need -- ukraine is always in need of military aid, ammunition, weapons. we need the financial aid that allows us to do the proper procurement. it is a major concern. it should be in the u.s.'s interest as well to make sure there is a sustainable network of all the military aid into ukraine for ukraine to keep fighting, and for there to be a victory for democracy. >> we know that some republicans we have spoken to here in the u.s. has issued skepticism toward further ukraine military funding have said ukraine has not clearly laid out with a victory would look like at this point. take crimea for example. that would not be realistic. what i your response? >> ukraine is an independent country that is counting on the

principles of territorial integrity being respected. ukraine's territory and territorial integrity is including crimea, other regions and all the cities that are there that were marked on the map when ukraine regained its independence when the soviet union collapsed in 1991. we also count on our partners, the u.s., the u.k. and others who know what international law is and also know the principle of territorial integrity, of the peaceful coexistence of states to actually stand up and protect those principles. otherwise there is a question, does international law really mean anything to anyone these days? there is a really big risk of other wars erupting all over the place unless there is a strong stance against this kind of

aggression that is being practiced by russia for the last decade now. >> we will have to leave it there. thank you so much for joining us on bbc news. >> thank you. >> a massive manhunt is underway in the u.k. after a man through a corrosive alkaline substance at two young girls and their mother in south london. police say it has left them with life-changing injuries. cctv footage captured some of the attack. the suspect appears to run someone over trying to flee the scene. he went out, got around the back of the car, taking a child out before running off and being chased by bystanders. eyewitnesses told the bbc how they rushed to aid the mother and her two daughters. >> took the three year old out of the car and lifted her up and body slammed her to the ground twice. i saw red and started chasing him down the road. i saw the mother of the child and her face was just covered

with something, god knows what it was. yocould see it was burning her. her lips were black. it was crazy. >> her mom was sitting, -- her mom was saying, "i can't see." i was holding the little girl. my lips were still burning. >> with just a week left until the general election in pakistan, political parties are busy campaigning across the country. there are questions about how free and fair the election will be. a former prime minister was sentenced to 14 years in prison. voting comes at a time of economic instability. ♪ >> the rr of a campaigning crowd. pakistan's elections are won because way. among the contenders, this man. his grandfather, his mother,

former leaders of pakistan. he is running to be prime minister for the first time. this site is the place where blood was spilled. >> this is a significant moment. it is the first occasion he is addressing a rally at the same location where his mother was assassinated in 2007. >> when my mother delivered her final speech, she provided a sense of hope and a time when pakistan was at a crisis point. i believe once again today we are at a crisis point. >> he said he can keep his manifesto promises at a time when the economy is on edge. there are questions about the election he is running in. he is currently in prison and unable to contest. others are not on the ballot.

is this a free and fair election? >> these elections are just as free and fair as 2018. democracy is not a switch that you flick on and off. it is a process that has to improve over time. >> do you think it would be better for pakistan if he was on the ballot? >> why is he not there? the laws were never amended. as he used to say, the courts in pakistan are free, they make their own decisions. if he is innocent he will prove himself in court. >> just few days later he was given multiple sentences for over a decade in prison. police used tear gas on a rally for his supporters. authority said they did not have permission to gather. many see his rise and fall as being in and then out of favor pakistan's powerful military. this is the man thought most

likely to win this election. if he does, it would be his fourth time as prime minister. last election, he was the one in jail. >> as all of you know, he was innocent. he was punished deliberately. the judges who gave this punishment have gone away one by one. >> despite repeated requests, he did not give us time for an interview. known names, deep-seated rivalries, and election with an old pattern and seething frustrations. bbc news. >> let's get a quick look at some other headlines. in spain, the city of barcelona and much of the surrounding region have declared a state of emergency because of a drought that has lasted three years. there will be restrictions on water use. people will be limited to 200

liters per person per day. farmers will have to reduce their use by 80%. european farmers blockaded roads and burned tires in brussels as eu leaders conversed for a summit in the belgian capital. the demonstrations are the latest in protests against what the farmers say is unfair regulations and cheaper imports. the e.u. announced temporary measures in an attempt to lower tensions building around europe for the past month. a judge in london throughout a lawsuit by donald trump that accused a former british spy of making inaccurate allegations. mr. trump was seeking to sue a company led by a former officer who compiled a dossier with unproven allegations about bribing officials. the judge amidst the lawsuit because it was not brought within the six-year limitation period. a british formula one driver will leave mercedes at the end

of the current season to join ferrari next year. hamilton has won six of his seven world titles -- his name has been closely associated with the german team he joined back in 2013. the 39-year-old has been offered a multi-your contract at ferrari. remember you can always find more on all the day's ne at our website, bbc.com/news. to see what we are working at anytime, check us narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... man: bdo. accounnts and advisors. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪

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wow, you get to watch all your favore stuff. it's to die for. now you won't miss a thing. this is the way. the xfinity 10g network. made for streaming. ♪ william: good evening. i'm william brangham. geoff bennett and amna nawaz are away. on the "newshour" tonight, defense secretary lloyd austin holds his first press conference since his cancer treatment and the killing of american troops in jordan.