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tv   BBC News Now  BBC News  November 14, 2023 12:30pm-1:01pm GMT

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this is bbc news, the headlines... israel says it's coordinating the transfer of incubators to gaza, but it's unclear whether hospitals will have enough power for the extra equipment. the chief executive of mcdonald's in the uk is questioned by mps over allegations of a "toxic" workplace culture. iceland has evacuated thousands of residents, after warning of a considerable risk
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of a volcanic eruption. and — a royal gun salute to mark the 75th birthday of king charles. some breaking news about the actor and comedian russell brand. the bbc has set a total of five complaints have been made about his behaviour while he hosted radio shows between 2006 and 2008. two of these complaints have been made in the last two months, that is since a review of his time at the bbc was launched and it is understood those complaints relate to his workplace conduct and are not of a serious sexual nature. the other three were made before he was publicly accused in september of rape and sexual assault. he denies those allegations. 0ne relates to a
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previously reported allegation of misconduct first made in 2019 while on bbc premises in los angeles in 2008 in the final two allegations a list of incidences. peterjohnson is looking into russell brand's behaviour at the time and weather managers knew about any allegations and what action they took. earlier this year, the comedian and actor was accused of rape and sexual assault between 2006 and 2013. he strongly denies those allegations. more on the story on the bbc news website as well. as the conflict in gaza intensifies, both the palestinians and israelis have been trying to ensure their message is heard by the world.
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here are some of the latest images which they've made available. these pictures were filmed in rafah, in southern gaza, and distributed by a palestinian news agency. they show people queueing for food at an outdoor kitchen. dozens of children are among those being given a meal. the military wing of hamas — considered a terrorist organisation lets ta ke lets take you to the house of commons where we can listen to a statement about the war from andrew mitchell. figs statement about the war from andrew mitchell. �* , ~ , ., ,, ., mitchell. as minister of state i will follow _ mitchell. as minister of state i will follow the _ mitchell. as minister of state i will follow the precedent - mitchell. as minister of state i will follow the precedent set i will follow the precedent set by successive governments of different parties from lord carrington and lord hume to more recent times when lord hume to more recent times when lord mandelson had served in cabinet from the house of lords. i will deputise for the foreign secretary in this house, making regular statements like today's and respecting the privacy of this house in the normal way. and of course the
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foreign secretary will appear before the house of lords and relevant committees regularly. mr speaker, the terrible events in israel and gaza have underlined the critical importance of british diplomacy and development work. as is real battles to defeat hamas, the humanitarian situation remains extremely difficult. as the prime minister said last night, israel must respect international humanitarian law. with services and communication in gaza under unprecedented strain, it is difficult to be absolutely certain about how events are unfolding but there are reports we have heard from partners that make clear the appalling loss of life, including amongst children and aid workers. and the situation in hospitals in gaza city, notably al—shifa, is now acute. al—shifa has hundreds of inpatients and was able to offer a
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set of services unavailable elsewhere in gaza. reports indicate that operations have stopped due to the lack of fuel and supplies and that premature babies have died due to the lack of electricity. fuel is urgently needed to power hospitals as well as desalination plants. hospitals should be places of safety, able to treat patients with compassion. it is distressing to see them unable to do so. every civilian death is heartbreaking. it is impossible to comprehend the pain and loss that innocent palestinians are enduring. as the house knows, since the 7th of october, the government has been engaging intensively with close allies and our partners in the region. since my last update to the house last wednesday, i have met islamic relief on sunday in birmingham who still have humanitarian supplies in gaza,
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to hear clearly from them about the situation on the ground. and i spoke to martin griffiths, the head this morning and i will travel to the region overnight tonight. the new foreign secretary has discussed the situation with us secretary of state tony blinken will stop the government will be able to draw on his extensive regional experience in the weeks and months ahead but our goal to remain unchanged. as i told the house last week we are focused on getting life—saving aid to those in need in gaza, supporting the safe return of hostages and british nationals, backing israel's right to self—defence and preventing a dangerous regional escalation. 0ur dangerous regional escalation. our efforts have contributed to some delivery of aid via the rafah crossing and over 150 british nationals being able to leave gaza safely. since i spoke to the house last week, more british nationals and families have left and we will continue to offer all the support we
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can to those british nationals still in gaza so that they can also cross into egypt. as the us knows we have more than doubled our aid to civilians in gaza, committing £30 million and we stand ready to do more. for overa million and we stand ready to do more. for over a week british flights carrying aid have been landing in egypt with shipments including both life—saving items as well as the vital equipment the egyptian red crescent needs to be able to manage donations from across the world effectively. we also are urging the israeli government to increase humanitarian access, including through rafah and by opening up the crossing. at this point we assess that land presently offers the most viable and safe way to get humanitarian aid into gaza in the quantities needed but we are also considering air and maritime options, including through our bases in cyprus. the government has been clear that all parties to a conflict must afford civilians the protection thatis must afford civilians the protection that is their rights under
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international law. that includes respecting the sanctity of hospitals so that doctors can continue to care for the sick and injured. the events on the 7th of october and hamas's subsequent statements have made clear they are a terrorist group who pose an existential threat to the very idea of an israeli state. israel has a right to defend itself against this terrorist threat, restore their security and bring the hostages home. but there are things israel must do as part of their response. we have impressed this up on the israeli government. they must act within international law. they must take every precaution to minimise civilian casualties, limiting attacks to military targets and they must stop extremist settler violence in the west bank. at the same time, we should be under no illusions hamas have chosen to embed itself within the civilian population, their willingness to
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sacrifice innocent palestinians in this way only brings home there humanity. alleviating the suffering is our foremost priority. we welcome any initiatives which would allow more aid to be delivered and hostages to be released. we have therefore consistently called for humanitarian causes for our pauses in northern gaza are an important first step but longer pauses that cover wide areas will be needed. we are discussing with the un and other partners how best to achieve this. we must avoid measures which only serve to benefit hamas and allowed them to entrench their position. at them to entrench their position. at the same time, we need all parties to the conflict to abide by any pause, allowing sufficient time and security for civilians to move and aid to be delivered. responding to the immediate crisis, mr speaker, is critical but we also need to do more to create a new political horizon. the whole house knows there is only
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one answer that has come close to creating peace in these troubled lands, a two state solution. i commend this statement to the house, mr speaker. we commend this statement to the house, mr seaker. . _, commend this statement to the house, mr seaker. ~ u, ., commend this statement to the house, mr seaker. . u, ., ,, ., ., mr speaker. we come to the shadow forei . n mr speaker. we come to the shadow foreign secretary _ mr speaker. we come to the shadow foreign secretary david _ mr speaker. we come to the shadow foreign secretary david lambie. - mr speaker. we come to the shadow foreign secretary david lambie. mrl foreign secretary david lambie. speaker, can foreign secretary david lambie. ij�*i' speaker, can i foreign secretary david lambie. m speaker, can i thank the right honourable memberfor speaker, can i thank the right honourable member for advanced sight of his statement. mr speaker, i would have liked to have started by welcoming the new foreign secretary to his place but i can't do that because he isn't here. despite my respect for the right honourable gentleman opposite, he is not the foreign secretary. and we don't know when or how this house will hear from the foreign secretary because he is not a member.
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mr speaker, david cameron is the seventh foreign secretary in the seventh foreign secretary in the seven years of tory chaos. he was forced to resign in failure over a matter of foreign policy. the prime minister has looked at each of the 350 mp5 minister has looked at each of the 350 mps sitting opposite and decided that none of them was better at representing britain's interests on the world stage. rishi sunak, the prime minister, claimed he was for change. instead he hasjust resurrected yesterday's failure with an honour. this decision raises serious questions for this house but i know that you shared those concerns, mr speaker. at a time of grave international crisis, at a moment of war in europe, with a more assertive china, a climate emergency and a horrifying conflict in gaza, this house needs government
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accountability more than ever. so will the minister commit to working closely with the speaker to ensure the opposition and all members of parliament can hold the foreign secretary to account? turning to the horrors of gaza, more than 11,000 palestinians have reportedly been killed, with two thirds of the dead being women and children. this is shocking and devastating. every civilian death is an equal tragedy. does the minister agree with me that the number of palestinian civilians and children who have been killed over the past month is intolerable, and does he agree that israel must make changes to the way it is fighting this war by taking urgent concrete steps to protect civilian
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life. and gravely concerned by the desperate reports from hospitals in northern gaza. these were already overstretched with the wounded, short of fuel and filled with civilians seeking shelter. doctors now forced to make impossible choices as they try to care for the wounded and new bonds without power. some of those newborns have now lost their lives. unbearable. medical establishments have special protection under international law and that they should never be targeted or used as shields. all parties must follow international law, acting with necessity, distinction, proportionality and precaution. allegations of breaches should always be treated with the utmost seriousness. i know the minister said last week that this government supports icc independence as the labour party did, but he failed to answer whether the government recognises its jurisdiction to address the conduct
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of all parties in gaza. as per mr borisjohnson rejected it and attacked the court, labour recognises the icc�*s jurisdiction. can he clarify his government was never a position today? the answer is in a humanitarian catastrophe, more than 1.5 million people have been displaced, there are desperate shortages of basic essentials, does the minister agree that the short pauses in the north are clearly not enough? gazans need aid now. they need medicine now, they need water now, they need food now, they need fuel now. a full comprehensive and immediate humanitarian pause inviting across the whole of gaza now, to alleviate palestinian suffering and for hamas terrorist to release the hostages. hamas stated aim is to wipe israel off the map. they committed the most brutal attack on jews they committed the most brutal attack onjews since the holocaust, now they're using innocent palestinians as human shields. i
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would like to register my shop that not every member of this house can say this truth, hamas are terrorists. we must not give up on the narrow openings that keep the prospect of peace alive. that means preventing escalation, condemning violence in the west bank, condemning rocket attacks on israel, creating a future where gaza is not subject to occupation, meanwhile international diplomacy evolves and the facts on the grounds are changing day to day. in relation to both hostages being rescued and hamas's capability to carry out attacks like we saw on october seven. as the leader of the opposition set out, we must move to a full cessation of fighting. the reality is neither the long—term security of israel no long—term justice for palestine can be delivered by bombs and bullets. we must seek a path to a political process that leads to two states, a secure israel and an independent
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palestine. that was david lambie. you can continue to watch what is happening in the house of commons on the bbc live page up and running on the bbc live page up and running on the website at the moment if you would like to keep across some of the responses there. david lambie responding to andrew mitchell's statement about the war between israel and hamas. statement about the war between israeland hamas. it statement about the war between israel and hamas. it was done by andrew mitchell, not the new foreign secretary, david cameron, that was criticised by david lammy. they call once again for a two state solution. this is bbc news. home to hundreds of voters in wiltshire, all of which are facing a hike in licence fees come april. but
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those who live by moving their boats up those who live by moving their boats up and down the waterways without a fixed home mooring are also being hit with a new surcharge. something they say amounts to discrimination. to put a surcharge on the people who are on the lowest incomes is just unfair. i am absolutely furious but i'm also very frightened. i am scared that i am going to end up in a situation where i can't afford to licence my home any more and i might have to abandon it. the licence my home any more and i might have to abandon it.— have to abandon it. the new charges are bein: have to abandon it. the new charges are being brought— have to abandon it. the new charges are being brought in _ have to abandon it. the new charges are being brought in by— have to abandon it. the new charges are being brought in by the - have to abandon it. the new charges are being brought in by the canal- are being brought in by the canal and river trust, the charity managing the waterways, but it comes at a time when many cruisers say the upkeep is worse than ever. very much the focus of attention today what is happening at the
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al—shifa hospital in gaza. the allegation from israel is that there is a command and control centre for hamas under the hospital, something they deny. let's have a look at what we know about al—shifa and the military power that is confronting the israel defense forces. joel greenburg is injerusalem for us. what do we actually know, what has been published in the public domain that we can say for sure about al—shifa? it's hard to independently confirm. the israeli army has put out visual material, again not actually on the spot, but they have put out printed material and graphic images which illustrate what they say is the command centre that hamas has under
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al—shifa hospital but no independent confirmation of that. hamas denies this. that is their claim also about several other hospitals in gaza, there are six in the gaza strip and they are focused more on hospitals in the northern gaza strip. they basically said al—shifa along with others have been used by hamas underground for either command and control operations and even suggesting that a children's hospital may have been used to hold hostages during the current war, underneath the hospital.- hostages during the current war, underneath the hospital. hamas is in control of the — underneath the hospital. hamas is in control of the gaza _ underneath the hospital. hamas is in control of the gaza strip _ underneath the hospital. hamas is in control of the gaza strip but - underneath the hospital. hamas is in control of the gaza strip but are - control of the gaza strip but are theyin control of the gaza strip but are they in control of the gaza health ministry as well or do they have a degree of independence?- ministry as well or do they have a degree of independence? hamas has overall control _ degree of independence? hamas has overall control of _ degree of independence? hamas has overall control of the _ degree of independence? hamas has overall control of the ministry. - degree of independence? hamas has overall control of the ministry. the i overall control of the ministry. the ministry also have civil servers that work there professionally but the overall control is from the
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hamas government, so it's a combination of the government in the gaza strip which is hamas running the ministry from the top, but also other people who are just professional employees of the ministry. professional employees of the minist .~ i, , , i, i, ministry. what is the situation ri . ht ministry. what is the situation riaht now ministry. what is the situation right now in — ministry. what is the situation right now in terms _ ministry. what is the situation right now in terms of - ministry. what is the situation right now in terms of hamas'sj right now in terms of hamas's military capability in gaza? how many fighters do we think are there? various estimates put it at 20 to 40,000 fighters. they have the rockets that they fired at israel, they have a variety of weapons, they don't have artillery and air force but they do have stockpiles of weapons, stockpiles of rockets and a tunnel network that both israel and hamas have talked about. it is definitely a substantial military force in the gaza strip that the israelis are now trying to go after on the ground. find israelis are now trying to go after on the ground-— israelis are now trying to go after on the round. �* , i, , , on the ground. and is the leadership all inside the — on the ground. and is the leadership all inside the gaza _ on the ground. and is the leadership all inside the gaza strip _ on the ground. and is the leadership all inside the gaza strip or— on the ground. and is the leadership all inside the gaza strip or are - all inside the gaza strip or are there some people who are abroad?
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there is a leadership in gaza, there is the head of the military wing who is the head of the military wing who is considered the most admired of this attack on october seven. there is a political leader in gaza, but the outside leaders, the overall leader of hamas is outside the gaza strip. he has been seen in beirut, moving to qatar and other locations. the top leader is outside.— the top leader is outside. thank you so much for — the top leader is outside. thank you so much forjoining _ the top leader is outside. thank you so much forjoining us. _ the top leader is outside. thank you so much forjoining us. more - the top leader is outside. thank you so much forjoining us. more from . so much forjoining us. more from the middle east throughout the day. some other stories now. the chief executive of mcdonald's in the uk has been questioned by mps, over allegations of a "toxic" workplace culture at the fast food restaurant chain. it follows a bbc investigation in which more than 100 current and recent staff alleged sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying. the managing director of mcdonald's uk is alistair macrow and he has told mps the company has fired 18
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workers since the bbc investigation. in four months, you have had over 400 cases reported to you. that is correct. it did not all occur in that period of time, and they are not all sexual harassment cases. as i said, we had 17 confirmed sexual harassment cases that have led to disciplinary action and we are investigating a further 27. how many of these cases have been referred to the police? the way that we work with the police is for any of these cases, we would recommend to the individual who reports that they report it directly to the police. if there is an immediate offence occurring in the restaurant at any point in time, someone in danger, we would refer it to the police ourselves. but in these cases, we give the choice to the individual because we know from our work with bodies such as the hrc that reporting to the police directly without thei consent can put people in danger and so we would not do that directly. more than 500 earthquakes
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were recorded in south—west iceland on monday — shaking houses, damaging roads, and leading to hundreds of evacuations. the tremors indicate a volcanic eruption may happen in the next few days. a nearby town has already been evacuated. an eruption of another volcano in 2010 led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of flights — although experts do not believe a repeat of that disruption is likely. we started the programme today with the gun salute fired from london's green park, next to buckingham palace, to celebrate the 75th birthday of king charles.
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the king is said to be having a business—as—usual approach on his birthday. he's launching a project — along with queen camilla — to help people facing food poverty. he'll also host a reception for nhs nurses and midwives. also 75 years of the nhs. we understand the king will be taking a call from his younger son, prince harry, at some point today. while events taking place throughout the day as well as here. you can see the well the iconic tower of london. we will be expecting some gun salutes to take place very shortly, 62 of them. a slightly rainy afternoon here in central london but the
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pictures or very dramatic as well, as the king celebrates his 75th birthday. let's ta ke let's take you to the most that you have ever paid for a car. well a vintage ferrari has sold in new york for 51.7 million dollars — that'sjust over 42 million pounds. it's the second—highest amount ever paid for a car at auction. the gto from 1962 is rare — as only around 30 were ever made. this car had been owned by an american collector for decades, and while no information's been given about the buyer — they'll be part of a very exclusive club, including fashion designer ralph lauren and pink floyd drummer nick mason. thank you for being with us. plenty more to come here on bbc news.
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hello. it's very mild at the moment for this point in november. you can see the mall doubt marked on yellow on our air mass chart but that mild air clears away to be replaced by something cooler as we had through the next couple of days. then it makes a return with some very unsettled conditions as we head into the weekend. into the start of next week, we draw a northerly wind. this is the pressure chart for today. this heavy, thundery showers clearing away gradually from the south coast of england. it's been a very wet start to the day here but still possibly more showers lingering through the afternoon. scattered showers, sunny spells developing across much of england and wales. scattered showers, sunny spells for northern ireland, more cloud, outbreaks of rain across much of scotland but brighter skies towards the far north. temperatures
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are a little lower foremost than they were yesterday. this evening and overnight the cloud, rain continues across much of scotland, some clear skies towards the far north here, maybe a touch of frost for tomorrow morning. largely dry, further south across much of england and wales. you can see on tuesday night into wednesday the area of low pressure clears away into the north sea once again. these weather front are starting to slip further southwards and weakening, perhaps some showery outbreaks of rain across northern parts of northern ireland, stretching down into lincolnshire but a ridge of high pressure building in from the south and west, so much of england and wales should stay dry. quite a lot of sunshine around with vital winds. may be a more widespread frost on wednesday night into thursday, certainly in a few spots. weather front is pushing from the south and west thursday morning. a lot of uncertainty particularly regarding this rent was the south but it is likely we will all be seeing some wet and windy weather as the day
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wears on. temperatures are lower than they have been, high single figures in scotland, 11 to 13 degrees further south. but we will start to draw in that milder air again as we see this deep area of low pressure approach from the south—west. turning wetter and windier with coastal gales by the end of the day on friday. goodbye for now.
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today at one — a secret police report, uncovered by the bbc, said a senior officer involved in the stephen lawrence murder case was corrupt. the lawrence family have suspected that corruption played a part in the failure to properly investigate. their lawyer has expressed their anger. also on the programme... ths strong and united team is going to deliver that change. the prime minister's brand new headline—making cabinet meets for the first time in downing street. pressure from the uk and the us mounts on israel to do more to protect civilians and hospitals in gaza. strong advice to the government — the chicken pox vaccine should be offered to children at 12 and 18 months old. and the king celebrates his 75th birthday. and coming up on bbc news: jude bellingham pulls out of england's european qualifiers
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with malta and north macedonia with a shoulder injury.

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